POLICE How to manage your mental wellbeing. Blue Light Programme

Transcription

1 POLICE How to manage your mental wellbeing Blue Light Programme

2 How to manage your mental wellbeing This booklet is for anyone in the police service who wants to improve and maintain their mental wellbeing. It explains what can affect your mental health and gives practical suggestions about how to build resilience. Contents 05 What is mental wellbeing? 08 What can affect my mental wellbeing? 10 Mental wellbeing checklist 12 What can I do to build resilience? 21 What support is available? 29 Lisa s story 31 Useful contacts 2 3

3 What is mental wellbeing? Mental wellbeing describes your mental state how you are feeling and how well you can cope with day-to-day life. Our mental wellbeing can change, from day to day, month to month or year to year. If you have good mental wellbeing (or good mental health), you are able to: feel relatively confident in yourself feel and express a range of emotions build and maintain positive relationships with other people live and work productively cope with the stresses of daily life and manage times of change and uncertainty. Mental wellbeing is just as important as physical wellbeing, and maintaining both is an important part of staying fit and healthy. Everybody has mental health as well as physical health, and sometimes you re well and sometimes you re not well. 4 5

4 If you work in the police service, it s especially important for you to look after your mental wellbeing. Our research shows: 91% of police have experienced stress and poor mental health at work. Emergency services staff and volunteers are more likely to experience a mental health problem than the general workforce, but you are less likely to take time off work as a result. Staff and volunteers work hard to prevent mental health problems affecting your performance at work, but this can come at a large personal cost, impacting relationships and physical health. 6 7

5 What can affect my mental wellbeing? We all have times when we have low mental wellbeing when we feel sad or stressed, or find it difficult to cope. Your mental wellbeing can be affected by workrelated factors like: repeated exposure to traumatic events workload pressures long working hours lone working dealing with people who may be physically or verbally abusive. As a police officer, you re used to dealing with the worst situation day in and day out, things that probably other people wouldn t experience in a lifetime. Your mental wellbeing can also be affected by other things in your life, for example, if you: suffer some sort of loss experience loneliness have relationships problems are worried about money. Sometimes, there is no clear reason why we experience a period of poor mental wellbeing. Staying mentally well It s important to look after your mental wellbeing on a day-to-day basis, and not just after experiencing big, traumatic events. Staying mentally well by building resilience can reduce your chances of developing mental health problems like depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 8 9

6 Mental wellbeing checklist Because of the demands of working in the police service, it s important to make sure you manage your mental wellbeing in order to stay fit and healthy. You can use the checklist below to identify factors that are affecting your mental wellbeing. I have someone I can talk to about my feelings. I have good friends I can trust. I sleep well most of the time. I eat healthily most of the time. I do some physical activity regularly. I make time for the things I enjoy. I do things to help other people. I feel I achieve things. I know how to relax. I know what affects my moods. I am kind to myself about who I am. I look after myself during difficult times. If you were not able to tick many of these statements, you may want to look at what you can do to build resilience (see p.12) or get support (see p.21)

7 What can I do to build resilience? There may be times or situations in your life that are more difficult than others. The capacity to stay mentally well during those times is called resilience. Here are some ways you might be able to develop and strengthen your resilience. Talk about the way you feel If you are facing a difficult time, talking about the way you feel with someone you know and trust can often help. Your colleagues, friends or family may be able to offer you practical help or advice and give you another perspective on what is causing your problems. Even if they can t help, often just talking something through and feeling that there is someone to listen and understand you can make you feel much better. Build healthy relationships with people Building and maintaining constructive relationships with people is an important part of staying mentally well. If you spend time around positive and supportive people, you are more likely to have a better self-image, be more confident and feel able to face difficult times. If you do not have the social contact you feel you need, or experience feelings of loneliness because of your work patterns or for any other reason, this can also have a negative impact on your mental wellbeing

8 Do something you enjoy Look after your physical health If you have good physical health, you are more likely to have good mental health. Sleep patterns, diet and physical activity all have an impact on your mental wellbeing. Sometimes it can be difficult, or even impossible, to maintain regular sleep, diet and exercise patterns because of work. If this is the case, try to establish as much regularity as you can, or set time aside to look after your physical health after busy or stressful periods. Doing something you enjoy can improve your confidence and help you stay well. Make time to do things you like, whether it s cooking, seeing your friends or doing DIY. Learning something new, or taking up a new hobby, can also boost your confidence and occupies your mind in a positive and active way. If you want to try a new hobby, think about what you are good at, or things that you have always wanted to try. You can find information about volunteering organisations and local groups, clubs or classes at your local library, in local newspapers or magazines, or online. Set yourself a challenge Set yourself a challenge that you can realistically achieve. This doesn t have to be anything particularly large but should have meaning for you. For example, you might decide you are going to write a letter to your local paper or start going to a regular exercise class. You will feel satisfied and proud of yourself when you achieve your goal, and feel more positive about yourself as a result

9 Relax It s important to make time to relax, even if you don t feel under stress. This may mean going away for the weekend, spending an evening doing something you like, or even just taking a five-minute break to look out of the window. Learning a relaxation technique, such as breathing exercises, yoga or meditation, can also help you relax and reduce stress levels. Identify mood triggers Knowing what affects your moods can help you take steps to avoid or change the situations that have a negative impact on you. Even if you can t change the situation, knowing your triggers can help you remember to take extra care of yourself during difficult times. For example, you may realise that eating certain foods or seeing a certain person has an effect on your mood. Or you may tend to experience a particular mood at a particular time, such as in winter. Keeping track of your moods in a mood diary can help you work out what affects your mental wellbeing and recognise changes in your mood that would be difficult to spot otherwise. You can create your own mood diary, or there are lots to choose from on the internet (see Useful contacts on p.31 for some examples). Look after yourself during difficult times Everyone has times when they face challenging situations and find it difficult to cope. If you are experiencing a difficult time, or are unwell, it s important to look after yourself and try and get through. Be careful not to put too much pressure on yourself to carry on as normal. You may need to take a break from your usual responsibilities, for example reducing your social activities or workload. Take small steps and don t expect too much of yourself. Try to get enough sleep and eat regularly. If you are finding it difficult to cope on your own, don t be afraid to ask for help. For example, you may need time off work or help with day-to-day tasks, such as cleaning or childcare

10 Stay safe. If your feelings become overwhelming, and you have suicidal thoughts or you think you may self harm, remember that you can pick up the phone at any time of night or day and talk to the Samaritans (see Useful contacts on p.31). Learn to accept yourself One of the most important steps in maintaining mental wellbeing is to learn to accept yourself. If you value yourself, you are more likely to have positive relationships with other people and find it easier to cope with difficult times in your life. Here are some tips to help you increase your self-esteem: Try not to compare yourself to other people. Don t strive for perfection. Acknowledge your positive qualities and things you are good at. Learn to identify and challenge unhelpful thinking patterns. Use self-help books and websites to help you change your beliefs. Spend time with supportive people. Be assertive don t allow people to treat you with a lack of respect. Engage in hobbies that you enjoy

11 What support is available? You may find that, despite your best efforts, you are unable to maintain your mental wellbeing on your own. In this case, you might want to seek professional help to address whatever is affecting you. Mind Blue Light Infoline We have a confidential Blue Light Infoline for emergency service staff, volunteers and their families. Our team can look for details of help and support in your area. Call * Text bluelightinfo@mind.org.uk *9am 6pm, Mon to Fri, calls charged at local rates 20 21

12 Employer support Find out if your force has any specialist support services on offer, for example: occupational health unit Employee Assistance Support helpline multi-faith chaplaincy peer support specialist counselling and support. Specialist organisations There are a number of specialist organisations that support the wellbeing of police officers: Police Treatment Centres Flint House Police Rehabilitation Centre SafeHORIZON UK Blue Lamp Foundation associations for minority groups like the National Association of Muslim Police and the Disabled Police Association. See Useful contacts on p.31 for details on how to contact these organisations, as well as information on other organisations that might be able to help you. Practical help If there is a particular situation that is affecting your mental wellbeing, the best thing to do is to seek specialist practical help to resolve the problem. Having someone professional who is familiar with your type of situation can see it objectively and usually get to the root of the problem more quickly. For example, if: someone close to you has died and you are struggling to cope, you may want to talk to a bereavement counsellor, or contact an organisation like Cruse Bereavement Care you have legal, money or housing problems that are causing you stress or anxiety, you may find it useful to talk to your local Citizens Advice. See Useful contacts on p.31 for organisations that may be able to help

13 Peer support Peer support means talking to people who have been through similar experiences, for example, in a support group, online forum or website. Some forces have peer support groups set up specifically for this. You can get details of peer support groups that might be relevant to you by contacting the Mind Blue Light Infoline. (See Useful contacts on p.31.) Mindfulness Mindfulness is a way of paying attention to the present moment, using techniques like meditation, breathing exercises and yoga. It has been shown to help people become more aware of their thoughts and feelings, so that instead of being overwhelmed by them, it is easier to manage them. Be Mindful has more information and details of local classes around the UK. (See Useful contacts on p.31.) Talking treatments If you are facing problems that are affecting your mental wellbeing, and you can t resolve these yourself, you may find a talking treatment helpful. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a form of therapy that aims to identify connections between your thoughts, feelings and behaviour, and to help you develop practical skills to manage them. It has been shown to be particularly effective for low selfesteem and anxiety-based conditions. If your problems stem from early life experiences you might find that other talking treatments, such as person-centred therapy, psychodynamic therapy or interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT), can help you address these experiences more thoroughly. If you want to try a talking treatment, your GP can provide information and refer you to a local service. However, waiting lists for talking treatments on the NHS can be long, so you may prefer to seek therapy or counselling privately. Private therapists will charge a fee, but some offer a reduced rate for people on a limited income. (See BACP, BABCP and UKCP in Useful contacts on p.31 for a list of accredited private therapists.) 24 25

14 Medication If you are unable to resolve any difficulties you are having yourself, and your feelings develop into a mental health problem, such as PTSD, anxiety or depression, you may be offered prescription medication by your GP. These drugs don t cure mental health problems, but aim to ease the most distressing symptoms. Your GP should talk you through the potential advantages and disadvantages of taking any psychiatric medication and discuss possible alternative treatments. What helps me is being honest with how well I m coping and getting support when I need it

15 Lisa s story I ve been in the police for 25 years. About two years ago, I was diagnosed with depression and took about six weeks off work. Every year there d be one or two jobs that I d take home and think about, but it was really the heavy workload, the amount of pressure in the police service, that had a drip-feed effect on me. I had terrible sleep patterns. I d go to sleep and I d suddenly wake up with a jolt, because I d have these really vivid images, like of a lorry crashing in front of me or something like that. It felt like my fight or flight response had gone totally wrong, and I was always on alert. It all came to a head in I kept breaking down in tears all the time, and it was like I had no filters on my emotions at all. I was snappy, grumpy and dreading going to work each day

16 Eventually I went to the doctor s. I was diagnosed with depression and put on antidepressants. It was actually quite important that I was diagnosed, because once that happened it helped me realise that I did have an illness, and there was a plan to get better. I was only off work for six weeks. I was nervous about going back, but I went back on a return to work programme and my bosses were absolutely fantastic, and I had a lot of support from my colleagues. I think we, the police, do a good job most of the time looking after the public, but we don t always look after ourselves to the same level. It s really important for people to know that everybody has mental health as well as physical health, and sometimes you re well and sometimes you re not well. If you are able to recognise that you are under a lot of stress, you should talk to someone either someone you trust at work, or friends or family. It s not right to have to cope with that level of stress and anxiety day in and day out, and over a period of long time it can make you ill. Useful contacts Mind Blue Light Infoline (Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm, local rates) text: bluelightinfo@mind.org.uk mind.org.uk/bluelight Confidential Infoline for emergency service staff, volunteers and their families. Our team can look for details of help and support in your area. Be Mindful bemindful.co.uk Information, and details of local mindfulness courses and therapists. Bereavement Advice Centre bereavementadvice.org Support for people who have been bereaved

17 Blue Lamp Foundation bluelamp-foundation.org Financial aid to emergency service workers injured in the course of duty. British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) babcp.com Lists accredited therapists. British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) itsgoodtotalk.org.uk Practitioners in your area. Citizens Advice (England); (Wales) citizensadvice.org.uk Confidential advice on a range of issues. Cruse Bereavement Care (national helpline) helpline@cruse.org.uk cruse.org.uk Bereavement charity offering online, telephone and face-to-face support. Direct.gov.uk direct.gov.uk/en/employment Information about employment rights and services, and career advice. Disabled Police Association disabledpolice.info Promotes equality of opportunity for disabled people working within the extended police family. Flint House Police Rehabilitation Centre flinthouse.co.uk Provides individually planned, intensive, rehabilitation services for sick and injured, serving and retired police officers

18 Mood diaries moodpanda.com moodscope.com medhelp.org/land/mood-tracker mappiness.org.uk Some examples to try. There are many more available. National Association of Muslim Police nampuk.org National organisation that aims to support Muslim officers and staff. Police Treatment Centres thepolicetreatmentcentres.org Samaritans Freepost RSRB-KKBY-CYJK Chris, PO Box Stirling, FK8 2SA 24-hour helpline: samaritans.org Emotional support for anyone in distress. United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) psychotherapy.org.uk List of registered practitioners. Treatment centres where serving and retired police officers can receive rest, recuperation and treatment following an illness or injury. SafeHORIZON UK safehorizon.co.uk Support and advocacy services for police officers and their families affected by psychological injury, stress and mental ill health. This is a shortened version of the original text. For the full online version, visit mind.org.uk/bluelightbooklets Give us your feedback bluelight@mind.org.uk if you have any feedback on this booklet. References available on request Published by Mind To be revised

19 We re Mind, the mental health charity. We won t give up until everyone experiencing a mental health problem gets both support and respect. mind.org.uk/bluelight #mybluelight Mind We re a registered charity in England (no ) Funded by